THE ONE.

A lawgiver without a mind—or something even higher than a mind—is unthinkable. Furthermore, mind, as we know it, seems to be bound up with matter and energy in a wonderful combination. It is seen to be subject to laws outside of itself and is varying, inconstant, and changeable. These are qualities that cannot be attributed to the Absolute original: "the Absolute." In philosophy, this refers to the ultimate, unchanging reality that exists independently of all other things.. Mind as we know it, as well as matter and energy, is held by the highest occult original: "occult." In this context, the word refers to "hidden" or esoteric spiritual knowledge, rather than anything dark or sinister. teachers to be merely an appearance or a relative state of something far more fundamental and enduring. We are compelled to fall back upon that old term which wise men have used to describe that "something else" that lies behind and beneath matter, energy, and mind—and that word is "Spirit."

We cannot say exactly what is meant by the word "Spirit," for we have nothing else like it to describe it. But we can think of it as meaning the "essence" of life and being—the reality underlying universal life.

Of course, no name can be given to this "One" that will fitly describe it. However, we have used the term "The Absolute" in our previous lessons and consider it advisable to continue using it, although the student may substitute any other name that appeals to them more strongly. We do not use the word "God" (except occasionally to bring out a specific shade of meaning), not because we object to it, but because by doing so we would run the risk of identifying the Absolute with some idea of a personal god associated with certain theological...